The mainstream media for the most part has moved on. But there are a few more gleanings to be had, of perhaps the most interesting comes from the Daily Mirror, which labels al-Hilli an extremist on the grounds that he was against the war in Iraq, disapproved of the behaviour of Israel and had doubts over 9/11 – which makes a great deal of the population “extremist”. But the Mirror has the only mainstream mention I can find of the possibility that Mossad carried out the killings. Given Mr al-Hilli’s profession, the fact he is a Shia, the fact he had visited Iran, and the fact that Israel heas been assassinating scientists connected to Iran’s nuclear programme, this has to be a possibility. There are of course other possibilities, but to ignore that one is ludicrous.
Which leads me to the argument of Daily Mail crime reporter, Stephen Wright, that the French police should concentrate on the idea that this was a killing by a random Alpine madman or racist bigot. Perfectly possible, of course, and the anti-Muslim killings in Marseille might be as much a precedent as Mossad killings of scientists. But why the lone madman idea should be the preferred investigation, Mr Wright does not explain. What I did find interesting from a man who has visited many crime scenes are his repeated insinuations that the French authorities are not really trying very hard to find who the killers were, for example:
the crime scene would have been sealed off for a minimum of seven to ten days, to allow detailed forensic searches for DNA, fibres, tyre marks and shoe prints to take place.
Nearby bushes and vegetation would have been searched for any discarded food and cigarette butts left by the killer, not to mention the murder weapon.
But from what I saw at the end of last week, no such searches had taken place and potentially vital evidence could have been missed. House to house inquiries in the local area had yet to be completed and police had not made specific public appeals for information about the crime. No reward had been put up for information about the shootings.
Behind the scenes, what other short cuts have been taken? Have police seized data identifying all mobile phones being used in the vicinity of the murders that day?
The idea that the French authorities – who are quite as capable as any other of solving cases – are not really trying very hard is an interesting one.
Which leads me to this part of a remarkable article from the Daily Telegraph, which if true points us back towards a hit squad and discounts the ides that there was only one gun:
Claims that only one gun was used to kill everybody is likely to be disproved by full ballistics test results which are out in October.
While the 25 spent bullet cartridges found at the scene are all of the same kind, they could in fact have come from a number of weapons of the same make.
This throws up the possibility of a well-equipped, highly-trained gang circling the car and then opening fire.
Both children were left alive by the killers, who had clinically pumped bullets into everybody else, including five into Mr Mollier.
Zainab was found staggering around outside the car by Brett Martin, a British former RAF serviceman who cycled by moments after the attack, but he saw nobody except the schoolgirl.
Her sister, Zeena, was found unscathed and hiding in the car eight hours later.
Both sisters are now back in Britain, and are believed to have been reunited at a secret location near London.
There are of course a number of hit squad options, both governmental and private, which might well involve iraqi or Iranian interests – on both of which the mainstream media have been very happy to speculate while almost unanimously ignoring Israel.
But what interests me is why the Daily Telegraph choose, in the face of all the evidence, to minimise the horrific nature of the attack by stating that “Both children were left alive by the killers”? Zainab was not left alive by design, she was shot in the chest and her skull was stove in, which presumably was a pretty serious attempt to kill a seven year-old child. The other girl might very well have succeeded in hiding from the killers under her mother’s skirts, as she hid from the first rescuers, and then for eight hours from the police.
The Telegraph article claims to be informed by sources close to the investigation. So they believe it was a group of people, and feel motivated to absolve those people from child-killing. Now what could the Daily Telegraph be thinking?
@Katie
From the NYT Link
Neighbors in Claygate have been quoted in British newspapers as saying that Mr. Hilli was placed under observation by Britain’s intelligence agencies during the invasion of Iraq by British and American forces in 2003, and that agents parked in a nearby driveway to watch Mr. Hilli’s movements. But there has been no independent corroboration of those reports….One of those who was attacked and survived was Ayad al-Allawi+, who became the first Iraqi prime minister after the 2003 invasion. +Dr Ayad Allawi and Thanaa Allawi lived in Kingston-upon-Thames according in Coombe End, where the Allawis maintain a $4 million residence
Also Mrs A is a dangerous driver…
{http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-474012/Exiled-Iraqi-PMs-wife-drove-traffic-warden-clung-Audis-bonnet.html}
Someone who lives near Claygate:
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/view/atiyyah-ghassan
Ghassan Atiyyah is a visiting fellow at The Washington Institute, focusing on Iraqi politics. An outspoken member of the Iraqi democratic movement in exile during the regime of Saddam Hussein, in April 2003 he returned to Baghdad as director of the Iraq Foundation for Development and Democracy (IFDD), a nongovernmental organization devoted to independent secular liberalism.
I fail to see why Al-Hilli would be watched during the invasion…in case he didn’t return to Baghdad??
@Katie
From the NYT Link
Neighbors in Claygate have been quoted in British newspapers as saying that Mr. Hilli was placed under observation by Britain’s intelligence agencies during the invasion of Iraq by British and American forces in 2003, and that agents parked in a nearby driveway to watch Mr. Hilli’s movements. But there has been no independent corroboration of those reports….One of those who was attacked and survived was Ayad al-Allawi+, who became the first Iraqi prime minister after the 2003 invasion. +Dr Ayad Allawi and Thanaa Allawi lived in Kingston-upon-Thames according in Coombe End, where the Allawis maintain a $4 million residence
Also Mrs A is a dangerous driver…
{http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-474012/Exiled-Iraqi-PMs-wife-drove-traffic-warden-clung-Audis-bonnet.html}
Someone who lives near Claygate:
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/view/atiyyah-ghassan
Ghassan Atiyyah is a visiting fellow at The Washington Institute, focusing on Iraqi politics. An outspoken member of the Iraqi democratic movement in exile during the regime of Saddam Hussein, in April 2003 he returned to Baghdad as director of the Iraq Foundation for Development and Democracy (IFDD), a nongovernmental organization devoted to independent secular liberalism.
I fail to see why Al-Hilli would be watched during the invasion…in case he didn’t return to Baghdad??
The axe attack on Allawi in Epsom, Surrey in 1978 is recounted by the Telegraph’s spooky Con Coughlan here:
{http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1463221/A-modest-exile-who-dreamed-of-a-democratic-Iraq.html}
Luger ejects upward and to the right as this clip shows.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlHp4wBxmAU
It’s possible nine rounds were fired at the cyclist first before the car arrived and drove over the cases.
Another clip of a Luger being fired which gives some indication of how quickly it can be re-loaded.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYm_0eylwfI&feature=related
“I fail to see why Al-Hilli would be watched during the invasion…in case he didn’t return to Baghdad??”
I personally reckon they were watching the whole lot of them- father, and sons….and I still am not ruling out that as the reason the father decided to do a bunk elsewhere.
French Alps shooting: call for children to be returned to family
Relative of British family murdered in Alps criticises French prosecutor and says family felt they were being put on trial
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/28/french-alps-shooting-children-returned
Felix, I’ve been thinking about that time the Al Hillis were watched, what if they were not watched for the things they may be up to, but for their safety & what others may do to them….. in other words ‘protection’.
Especially if AH was helping us as stated some Iraqis did , in that article.
Kathy
Interesting report. Foster parents !
Does that mean there is, or has to have been a court order placed ?
@Dopey
Yes, I think the invasion is a red herring.
Saltman ” The father particularly adored the two girls…[quickly] I’m sure the mother did as well….but he was manifestly so…”
Saltman doesn’t seem to know much about Ikbal/Iqbal.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19515335
Saltman:“he came round to the house the night before he left..he was going to France, he was going to try to get a few more days holiday ,before the girls had to start school, so I’ll be back next weekend after this one
Once again, as with Stedman, Saltman never says the date that the Al-Hillis left.
Saltman says the last major crime in Claygate was someone riding a bike without lights – he is forgetting the Claygate murder of only two years previously when Sally Challen killed her husband with a hammer. Surely Jack heard that gossip in the local supermarket??
{http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1303481/Sally-Challen-Beachy-Head-suicide-threat-killing-husband-hammer.html}
Dopey…
Or maybe, just the father ?
Saddam Hussein gave £840,000 fortune to family of British father murdered in Alps massacre – Daily Mail
“When asked about the Le Monde story , Zaid [Al-Hilli] told The Mail on Sunday last night: ‘It’s all rubbish, they can speculate until they’re blue in the face to be honest with you.’
Further asked if his father had ever mentioned links to Saddam, he said: ‘We have no links with that regime. We live outside [Iraq] because of that regime, that’s why we have been here for 41 years.’”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2224127/Saddam-Hussein-gave-840-000-fortune-family-British-father-murdered-Alps-massacre.html
Ferret, well he would say that wouldn’t he ?
Once again Kingston on Thames comes into the equation with Alawi going to live there.
Ferret.
Agree with what you are saying, but I from what I see nuke smugglers tend not to be shot (depending on who arrests them of course) and money traffickers do.
I doubt he was getting money from Saddam.
But stealing it is a possiblity ?
But then, what of Mollier ?
Has anyone confirmed this “welder” was on three years or three months leave ?
jealousy (SM) rage (racial) cash (Saddam era) geopolitics (SSTL, Cezus): motives suggested. re the latter: was SM mistaken for a GB cyclist/observer expected at rendezvous. Mission completed, unexpectedly the 2nd cyclist appears. No wonder BM hurriedly departed fearing further shooting. And what of les anglais at the last house in C? re Mrs Al Saffar: was her presence required as chief person to give guarantee of agreement. Instead a double cross was discovered by someone…
Kathy that’s interesting about the children not being allowed to be with the family after all this time. It does make it look as though the family can’t be trusted OR it’s just cheaper than having to guard them ?
Do you realise we haven’t seen a photo of Kadhim as well as the two women ?
@Felix
If the Silver Fern Sussex business was really a front, why wasn’t it folded and re-opened every two years? Can’t think of an answer to this one. It certainly wasn’t opened though as a holiday company…
I don’t know, though it’s not a question that’s bothered me. Perhaps it would have looked more suspicious to have closed and reopened the company every two years?
It was of course initially opened as a company which traded in futures and options on the stock exchange… the holiday home was only bought about a year and a half ago, as near as I can recall.
Perhaps they just wanted to have a vehicle ready to go when they needed it? Silver Fern doesn’t seem to have done much is its early years, other than lose a small amount of money each year, relatively speaking.
Perhaps it will close down now? I’m not the first one to say it’s odd that Silver Fern doesn’t have the chalet to let now, they could make a mint out of it what with all the publicity.
Just think of it… our hero, Capn Brett Martin (ex RAF n all) could lead sightseeing tours to the very spot itself…
French Alps shooting: call for children to be returned to family – Guardian
“Over the weekend, Le Monde claimed Saad al-Hilli’s father was linked to a payment of over £800,000 from the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, with the report saying the information had been passed to French police by German intelligence. The claims were rejected by French police who said they had no knowledge of the alleged payments nor had been given details about them.
Saffar said he doubted the claim, saying: “The father left Iraq in the 1970s because of disagreements with the regime.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/28/french-alps-shooting-children-returned
I’m gobsmacked that the kids are with foster parents.
@Kathy
that Vikram Dodd piece somehow fails to mention Sweden. The forgotten country in all this…Ahmad must be a Swedish citizen.
He also publicly criticises Surrey County Council by implication. I really think they should issue an official statement. Why is this Swedish citizen now the spokesman, and the finger pointer at Mollier?
What does AAH mean:demanded British authorities return the two children who survived the massacre to their family
Er which family? The Swedish family??
Saffar said: “The social services can see these two girls want to be with their aunt.”
Is he referring to the Pharmacologist from Reading, Dr FA Al-Saffar? Or his wife?? Over to Surrey CC.
It’s worrying Dopey, I do hope the relatives have been allowed visits, those poor girls need familiar faces around them after such a trauma.
I assume Brett Martin and Silver Fern are a ‘package deal’ and his NZ heritage isnt a fortunate coincidence?
Katie/Kathy isnt the story that the girls arent back with the family because of the Press story of the evil brother wanting them dead to inherit and no more?
Katie
I posted the allawi address already weeks ago. His house was less than 10 minutes from the claygate house. But so is the house of Mr. X and the house of assassinated ex prime minister an-Naif . Kingston upon Thames and the villages nearby are “Little Iraq”.
Now i wonder if the 800k were paid for an assassination or for an assassination attempt to the organiser of such. That is just pure speculation. Of course, nowadays many documents of the Saddam times were leaked and the families of the assassinated are being informed. Blood revenge is usual in middle east.
That is not my theorie but one more we should not leave out amongst all likely and unlikely theories. However, in all those money theories, SM does not fit into the theory at all.
hm, isn’t that strange? I thought the children would be in some kind of a “safe-house”….. along with at least one member of their family. If Zainab saw the killer, she is clearly in danger.
So, if that’s not the case, she didn’t see anything.
But does the killer knows that…
everything here is bizarre – from A to Z, IMHO.
@ James
“Does that mean there is, or has to have been a court order placed ?”
Not sure but imagine so.
Hello Bluebird yes now you mention it you did indeed mention Alawi & Kingston on Thames, quite a nest of Iraqis, I suspect some of those companies at number 55 filtered Saddams money into Europe… as stated in one of the links posted earlier, much of it came through the UK.
I wondered if the money in Geneva was to buy Kadhim’s silence ?
I’ve posted the question at MZT’s blog if it could be possible that SAH was involved in some “deal” with SM and/or BM so they had the meeting…. AND the shooting was because of his iraqi-background (money, Saddam….)
If so, he was being watched and the other fraction knew about the meeting. So to speak, two things happened at the same place and time…. and messed up misserably
Just one theory amongst 100 others??
Straw I haven’t heard that but it would be one excuse to keep them away from the family.
IF…. Zaid is innocent he must feel very angry about it.
So are the girls going to school I wonder ?
@ Katie/Dopey
“I do hope the relatives have been allowed visits, those poor girls need familiar faces around them after such a trauma.”
It’s like I said before – the victims are being treated like the perpetrators of the crime. If you read the article Katie, it says they are allowed to visit but it is not satisfactory. The family must feel very frustrated. They obviously feel they are under suspicion.
@NR: There seems to be a certain attraction to bad red wigs and bad red hair, all the way from Pimlico to Montreal to Colorado.